From the Upper School

A message from Mrs Victoria Harrison, Head of Upper School

It has been a week of hearing from inspirational people linked to the Pymble community. Dr Andrew Browning shared with the girls the work the Barbara May Foundation does for women in Africa to help relieve the high incidence of death and fistula injury in pregnancy and childbirth. We hope that his story helps to motivate the girls to consider how they can be of service to others less fortunate.

Closer to home this can be done by participating in our weekly Days for Girls service activity creating reusable sanitary products for girls and women in the developing world. On Wednesday 19 June (Week 8) we are inviting Upper School mums, grandmothers, aunts, and carers to join our lunchtime workshop. This is a wonderful way to spend some time working with your daughters on a valuable project that makes an enormous difference to the lives of women around the world. Please register your interest if you are available to attend.

Another straightforward way that families can support women and girls is to buy some undies over the weekend to donate as part of our support for Days for Girls. The undies are included in the menstruation kits for women around the world; a small gesture that makes an enormous difference. Thank you in advance for your support of this great initiative.

Our Year 10 students are exploring the importance of self-care strategies for supporting the health and wellbeing of themselves and others in PDHPE this term. This week as part of the PDHPE curriculum, our Year 10 students had the privilege of listening to Alex Richter, an inspirational young man.

Alex shared with Year 10 his personal journey, highlighting the challenges he has faced after suffering a spinal cord injury and the power of self-care practices and a strong support system. His candid and engaging demeanour not only imparted valuable lessons but also provided a profound glimpse into the realities and daily obstacles confronted by individuals living with paralysis. Alex was incredibly open and willing to answer the many questions that the girls had, and we hope that they have shared this experience with their families.

We have excitedly welcomed back the Vision Valley adventurers from the second residential program of the year. On Friday, we held a special honouring celebration with parents and carers at Vision Valley where the girls shared wonderful reflections on their experiences, and we acknowledged the growth of these great young women. We hope that the girls attending the program next term are excited about the challenges and fun that they will also experience at the Valley.